Hullo Ferries hires European transportation executive as its new CEO | Daily Hive

Hullo Ferries in Vancouver harbour. (Uliana26/Shutterstock)

Hullo Ferries has hired P&O Ferries executive Louisa Bell as its next permanent CEO, with her leadership role beginning in January 2027.

Vancouver Island Ferry Company (VIFC), the company behind the privately-owned and operated high-speed passenger ferry service between Downtown Vancouver and Nanaimo, announced its new permanent leader earlier this fall.

Bell’s career spans more than 25 years, with experience running transportation services and growing passenger businesses across ferry, rail, and commercial airline services.

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“I’m delighted to be joining Hullo at such an exciting time,” said Bell.

“In such a short space of time, the team has already built a service that people on both sides of the Strait value, connecting Nanaimo and Downtown Vancouver quickly and comfortably. I’m looking forward to getting to know the team, building on that as we grow, and to making Vancouver Island my home.”

Bell joins Hullo Ferries from P&O Ferries — a European ferry operator that carries more than four million passengers annually, according to VIFC.

She began working at P&O Ferries in 2021 as director of operations for its major route between Dover in England and Calais in France, before becoming chief operating officer in 2022. For the past three and a half years, she has served as chief commercial officer for its passenger business.

Her responsibilities have ranged from setting fares and overseeing sales and marketing to managing the services passengers receive aboard the ferries.

Louisa Bell. (Hullo Ferries)

Earlier in her career, Bell worked in commercial and operational positions at British Airways, the Eurostar high-speed rail service in Western Europe, Avis Budget Group, and Cigna Healthcare.

Julien Eaton, a board member of VIFC, representing majority shareholder InfraRed Capital Partners, said Bell’s experience would help Hullo Ferries further grow its role as a transportation link between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.

“She has spent her career leading businesses where reliability, safety and the passenger experience are paramount,” said Eaton.

“As Hullo continues to grow and establish itself as an important transportation connection between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, her experience will be invaluable in guiding our next chapter.”

Hullo Ferries also plans to eventually launch a second route between Downtown Vancouver and Greater Victoria. This would involve expanding its fleet beyond the current two vessels. In addition to enabling a new Greater Victoria service, a larger fleet would improve the resilience of its Nanaimo service and provide the redundancy needed for more backup capacity.

Bell also served as a non-executive director of London-based Industrials REIT from 2020 to 2023. Her industry work also includes serving on the United Kingdom Chamber of Shipping’s supervisory board and chairing its Ferry & Cruise Panel.

Bell will succeed Hullo Ferries general manager Marco Ahrens, who has served as acting CEO since Ryan Dermody left in early September 2026 to become the executive vice-president of marine operations at Vancouver-based Bridgemans Services Group. Dermody joined Hullo Ferries’ board of directors in January 2024 and became acting CEO in May 2025, after inaugural CEO Alastair Caddick returned to his Vancouver-based consulting firm. Following a recruitment process, Dermody was appointed permanent CEO in November 2025.

Hullo Ferries first launched its service in August 2023. It operates multiple round trips daily, with each crossing taking approximately 75 minutes.

By its third anniversary in August 2026, the service had cumulatively carried more than 1.5 million passengers across nearly 10,000 sailings.

Hullo Ferries’ upcoming change at the top comes as BC Ferries undergoes its own leadership transition.

Today, BC Ferries announced the sudden departure of CEO Nicolas Jimenez and appointed Brian Anderson, its vice-president of strategy and planning, as interim CEO effective immediately.

The board of directors for BC Ferries also launched a review aimed at finding ways to improve service and meet growing demand across the ferry system. Executive vice-president and chief financial officer Dallyn Willis will lead that work, with the board overseeing the review. A formal search for a permanent CEO will follow the completion of the review.

Hulo Ferries’ Nanaimo terminal. (Hullo Ferries)

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